North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection

Important: Action Needed

Support The Appeal of the Proposed Nedonna Wave PUD

Please attend the Public Hearing of the Appeal against the proposed Nedonna Wave Planned Unit Development PUD-24. North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection is encouraging everyone to submit either oral or written testimony expressing opposition to PUD-24. The Public Hearing will occur at Rockaway Beach City Hall, 276 Hwy 101, Rockaway Beach, Oregon. To attend by zoom click Agenda or go to https://corb.us for more information.

Why is this important?

The Nedonna Marsh is an intact remnant of the original native coast. Within this wild area is a native saltwater marsh, spruce/willow wetlands, and a dune area with many native plants. Coyotes, river otters, beavers, deer, and other wildlife call this area home. Migratory birds use it to rest and refuel. Two streams, Jetty Creek and McMillan Creek, flow through this estuary and into the Nehalem River. The marsh is currently under threat. It is privately owned and part of it is in immediate danger of being developed. If this happens, Oregon will lose this special place forever. We need to stand together and do what we can to protect it.

In July 2024, the Rockaway Beach Planning Commission approved the Nedonna Wave Development, which would allow for a new housing subdivision within the Nedonna Marsh. In response to this approval, the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition has submitted an appeal to the Rockaway Beach City Council. Oregon Shores is being represented by the Crag Law Center. To support their efforts, North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection (NCCWP) is starting a letter-writing campaign. We are encouraging everyone to send in comments and letters supporting this appeal. We also think it would be helpful to email the City Council members and express our strong opposition to the proposed construction of homes in the wetland area, as we believe it is unconscionable.

Here are some important points that highlight our concerns regarding the development of these wetlands:

The aquifer at Nedonna Beach is part of a groundwater system that supplies fresh water to the City of Rockaway Beach. It is vital for the community’s water supply, and its management is key to ensuring a reliable and safe source of water for residents. Development could lead to pollution and over extraction of wells needed for the City’s water system.
These wells are particularly susceptible to adverse effects from nearby septic systems of varying ages and conditions, as well as surface activities such as fertilizing and pesticide application for yard maintenance. Moreover, their proximity to the ocean has resulted in noticeable saltwater intrusion as indicated by elevated sodium levels in water samples from the wells. Any further development is likely to intensify these negative impacts.
Much of the proposed development is now in the City’s Special Area Wetlands Zone (SA), the purpose of which is to “conserve significant freshwater wetlands and the shoreland and aquatic environment of Rockaway Beach’s lakes.”
The would-be developer is trying to utilize the original approval for the project that is 16 years old. Both State and local laws have provisions that prohibit such an old approval from being revived without further review based on current conditions. In those 16 years, the City has grown and changed, applicable regulations have evolved, and wetlands have shifted position. The City Council must deny this application, because the 16-year-old approval is no longer valid.
The issues with the outdated approval are demonstrated by the fact that much of this proposed PUD is now in a protected wetland zone that does not allow any residential development. Clearly, the City Council would be violating its own standards for protecting sensitive wetlands if it approves this development.
At risk are wetlands and McMillan Creek, which flows past the area to be developed. They both provide habitat for a range of wildlife including river otters, coyotes, beavers, deer, and many species of birds. Also impacted will be Salmonids habitat. As reported by a neighbor, "In the spring the pond (fed by McMillan) behind my house is home to thousands of small Salmon. Adding turbidity to the upstream water will have a negative impact on that habitat." Riparian zones serve similar functions in the estuarine and nearshore environment. Optimal freshwater habitat for salmonids includes clean, cool, well-oxygenated water flowing.
There are also risks to the community. Emergency evacuation via the one road outlet for the area is currently questionable as to effectiveness and safety. Adding more homes to the area would be highly irresponsible.
The City has not done enough to mitigate the risk this development poses to its tsunami evacuation plan. To protect its residents, the City's code requires developments, such as this one, to have improvements made to evacuation routes, including adding capacity by creating new routes. The developer of this PUD will not be required to make any improvements to the evacuation routes, but will instead only have to conduct a "traffic study." That “traffic study” does nothing to improve the community's safety, and after it is conducted the City will no longer have any ability to require actual improvements from the developer based on the findings of the study.
The area is already at risk of flooding and adding more impervious surfaces would make this worse. For comparison, the ongoing filling and development in the Rockaway Beach area near Washington Street has resulted in significant flooding issues. The neighborhood in Nedonna Beach relies on the flood mitigation properties of the wetlands which must be preserved and not filled or developed as was done in the Washington Street area.
This neighborhood faces several significant fire hazards, such as inadequately maintained fire pits, beach fires positioned too close to driftwood, highly-combustible dune grass, the large wooded area south of the jetty, and the use of illegal fireworks on the Fourth of July. In the event of a major fire, the only access/egress point—only one way into or out of the area—would severely hinder evacuation efforts. Adding more dense housing in this area would be highly irresponsible.
This is about developers making money at the expense of residents, who are already concerned about water and wetlands.
Everyone should have to play by the rules. The residents of the area have purchased or built their homes in good faith compliance with the land use laws and the City’s plan. This developer should not be allowed to evade those regulations, including those protecting wetlands and the rule setting an expiration date for PUD approvals.
Effective December 1, 2024, regulations for development in the Special Flood Hazard Area (commonly known as the “floodplain”) will be changing. These changes are mandated by FEMA for jurisdictions that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

How to submit comments to support the appeal:

Oral public testimony will be heard and written public comments will be accepted at, or prior, to the hearing. If submitting comments prior to the hearing, deliver to the City Hall, or mail them to the Planning Department at P.O. Box 5 Rockaway Beach, OR 97136. You may also email written comments to City Recorder Melissa Thompson at [email protected]. Please use file number #Appeal-24-1 on written comments and include your name, mailing address, and phone number. Check the City of Rockaway Beach’s official website https://corb.us for hearing updates and Zoom links.

To send emails to the City Council members:

Charles McNeilly - Mayor [email protected]

Penny Cheek - Council President [email protected]

Mary McGinnis - Council Member [email protected]

Tom Martine - Council Member [email protected]

Kristine Hayes - Council Member [email protected]

Alesia Franken - Council Member [email protected]

Check North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection's website for more information including updates on the hearing at www.healthywatershed.org or contact [email protected].

Important Petition Alert

Save Mothball Hill, Davis Ridge, And Slough Hill From Clearcutting

PETITION

WHEREAS, the proposed clearcuts named ‘Mothball Hill’, ‘Davis Ridge’, and ‘Slough Hill’ (Alt) in Oregon Department of Forestry Astoria District draft Annual Operations Plan for 2025 are immediately abutting numerous residential properties and recreational areas, and fail to address community concerns;

WHEREAS, Oregon Department of Forestry’s planned logging fails to address unprecedented climate change and does not account for the increasing coastal heat waves and water scarcity correlated with deforestation;

WHEREAS, the standard practice of pesticide applications after logging can have serious impacts on the health of neighboring residents, recreationalists, drinking water quality, and wildlife;

WHEREAS, clearcutting and replanting practices are known to increase wildfire intensity and reduce stream flow for up to fifty years post harvest; they are known to increase risk of landslides on steep slopes, as found at ‘Mothball Hill’ and ‘Slough Hill,’ as well as increase flash floods during storm events;

WHEREAS, the proposed logging near John Day River and Gnat Creek increases the likelihood of silt and other contaminants impacting drinking water, as well as wetlands and tributaries that are essential to salmon and other aquatic life; salmon are a native species that are endangered due to numerous industrial practices including clearcutting;

ACCORDINGLY, Petitioners want ‘Mothball Hill’, ‘Davis Ridge’, and ‘Slough Hill’ removed from ODF’s 2025 Astoria District Annual Operations Plan and eliminated from further considerations of timber harvests in the future.

ACCORDINGLY, Petitioners want the ODF to publicize draft Annual Operation Plans in multiple media at least two months in advance of the public comment deadline and to make a special effort to contact and meet with residents living in proximity to any planned logging before initial approval.

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